Foreign body reaction in vaginally eroded and noneroded polypropylene suburethral slings in the female: a case series.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of the foreign body reaction of macroporous polypropylene mesh (MPPM) used in females for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and to compare this pattern between eroded and noneroded tapes.

METHODS: Ten explanted suburethral slings, five eroded and five noneroded, were examined immunohistochemically under light microscopy; the tissue reaction was compared between eroded and noneroded materials.

RESULTS: Eroded material showed a significantly higher accumulation of macrophages around the filaments of the mesh.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study comparing reaction around eroded and noneroded MPPMs and indicates a more intense tissue reaction around eroded mesh, when compared to noneroded material. More studies are needed to prove whether the detected foreign body reaction was the actual trigger for the erosion.